Treating tobacco



Oct. 15, 19 40. T. E. BOOTH TREATING TOBACCO Filed Jan. 25, 1939 snub Patented Oct. 15, 1940 TREATING TOBACCO Thomas E. Booth, Mountain View, N. J assignor, 1

by mesne assignments, to The Guardite Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application January 25, 1939, Serial No. 252,817

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a method of treating tobacco.

In fumigating tobacco, it is customary to evacuate the container to a high vacuum followed by 5 introduction of a fumigating gas. At times the tobacco is too dry for proper handling, and it is desirable to moisten it. I have found that by following substantially the fumigation cycle the tobacco may be readily moistened with steam and water.

The invention is illustrated in the drawing, in which Figure 1 represents a somewhat diagrammatic side elevation, in, section, of the apparatus; and Figure2 is a cross section along the line 2 in Figure 1.

i0 represents a steel container provided with a door II and an evacuating line i2 leading to a pump l3. Along each side of the container is a pipe M, of about 1 inch internal diameter, and 2. provided at intervals of about 15 inches with perforations I5 facing outwardly toward'the wall of the vessel. These perforations are preferably about A inch in diameter. Leading to the pipe I 4 is a steam line l6. Line. 95 I6 is connected to a boiler (not shown) whichis adapted to supply wet steam thereto under pressures of say 45 pounds. Line l'l connecting line l6 to the boiler is provided with a valve It. Another line l9 Joins line I6 on a T, and is also pro- 80 vided with a valve 20. Both valves i8 and are hand-controlled. Line i9 is connected to a hot water supply, which preferably delivers water at 130-140 F. under 65 pounds pressure. r In operation, the tank is evacuated to about 29 to 29% inches vacuum, after the tobacco has been placed inside it. Steam and water are then admitted respectively through the lines i1 and I9 and the perforations IS in the manifold 14. The amount of water employed is very much in excess 40 of'that required to desuperheat the steam and. in fact, the steam employed is already somewhat super-saturated. The mixture of water and steam passes into the manifold l4 and is sprayed from the holes l5 against the side wall of the container and then passes to the tobacco. Enough water is employed so that frequently 4 or 5 inches of it will be found'upon the floor of the container after the treatment is over.

The steaming operation is carried on until the pressure within the tank has risen to 10 to 20 inches absolute, after which both steam and water are shut off and the tank allowed to stand 10 for some time. The tank is uninsulated and acts as a condenser, so that the tobacco is gradually cooled off by evaporation of water therefrom. The pressure will sometimes drop as much as 2 inches in an hour, thereby materially cooling the tobacco rather uniformly throughout.

I claim: p v

1. The method of moistening tobacco in a walled chamber which comprises subjecting the tobacco in the chamber to a high vacuum, admitting a stream of waterto a stream of steam in a closed passageway, carrying the mixed stream for a distance through a confined passageway and then admitting the mixed stream of steam and water from such passageway to the 25 closed chamber directed toward and in close proximity to the walls of said chamber. and reflecting the mixed current of steam and water 40 from said walls upon the organic product.

, THOMAS E. BOOTH. 

